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LaLiga Preview: Latest Step in Spain’s Crusade Against the Premier League Begins
- Updated: September 9, 2016
Forget the Manchester derby, it’s all about Celta Vigo vs. Atletico Madrid.
Well, so says Javier Tebas.
This is a big weekend for the LFP and its president, one that signals the beginning of LaLiga’s latest move to tackle what it sees as a growing death star on English shores. On Saturday, the Spanish top flight will stage its first game in its new 1 p.m. time slot, boldly pitting its own product head-to-head with the Premier League’s lunchtime kick-off.
Done for local benefit? Not at all. This is a global battle.
“In China, for example,” said Tebas this week to El Partidazo de Cope (h/t AS), in full crusade-against-the-Premier-League mode, “more people will watch Celta vs. Atletico than the Manchester derby because it’s on freeview.”
China might sound like a strange example, but it’s not. A country of more than one billion people that is experiencing a football boom is worth tapping into for a suddenly image-conscious and globally minded league that knows it’s lagging behind commercially. It’s not just China, either; it’s all of Asia that is the target, and Australia, too.
Late kick-off times don’t suit an eastern audience, but early ones do: 1 p.m. in Madrid is 7 p.m. in Beijing and Shanghai; 8 p.m. in Tokyo; 9 p.m. in Sydney, and so on. These are the emerging football markets LaLiga is competing for with the Premier League, and being accessible on TV matters.
.@Tebasjavier: “Without the centralised negotiation of TV rights, many of #LaLiga’s stars wouldn’t be here.” pic.twitter.com/68iTGCvLdQ
— LaLiga (@LaLigaEN) September 6, 2016
But competing isn’t easy. Going up against the most anticipated Manchester derby in years—with Jose Mourinho’s United hosting Pep Guardiola’s City for the first time—is a hard one to begin with.
United is already a behemoth in Asia, and City’s presence there is growing. Their pre-season tours to China were no coincidence, and though we don’t have the figures, Tebas’ assertion that Celta-Atletico will outdo that pair sounds as hopeful as walking into Subway and expecting something “fresh.”
Admittedly, the competition won’t always be Jose-and-Pep-ified, but the Premier League’s lunchtime slot on Saturday does typically feature one of England’s now-global clubs.
In response, LaLiga are giving that a crack themselves. After Atletico inaugurate the time slot this weekend, Barcelona will follow them next week. Don’t count out one of this season’s Clasicos being scheduled for 1 p.m., either. “Why not?” said Tebas when asked if it was a possibility.
The new time slot isn’t just a home for the heavyweights, however. LaLiga is conscious of the need to be more than Real Madrid vs. Barcelona; Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi. In jornada 6, Eibar will take on Real Sociedad at the new time. The following week, it will be Granada vs. Leganes being shown to the east.
“We need to sell ourselves as an international brand,” is Tebas’ consistent message, and LaLiga is getting there. Sort of.
Spanish football has rebranded itself this summer to develop a sense of connection between its divisions. La Liga has become “LaLiga” with the space removed, …
